Vladimir Putin body double claims have taken a new twist after an AI-driven linguistic and voice analysis raised suspicions he may be using them for public appearances.
David Pope, Founder of Speech Craft Analytics, compared two significant speeches by the Russian President, one from the World Russian People’s Council that was given just this week, and an older one from Russia Victory day in May 2023.
The expert explained the logic behind voice analysis in an exclusive interview with Daily Express US: “Our voices are a little bit like our fingerprints. We have identifiers, like the use of our throat muscles. Your voice can be an identification metric.”
The analysis compared ten speaker recognition features, and the results showed a noteworthy seven out of ten of these features as statistically different.
Particularly, formants, the subtleties in vowel articulation, played a crucial role in distinguishing between the two speakers.
From these results, Pope stated “with 99% confidence that this is a different speaker”.
This assertion, backed by rigorous AI analysis, adds weight to the growing speculation surrounding Putin’s public appearances.
Putin’s unusual conduct, such as in a public appearance in Dagestan a few months ago, where he broke from his reserved demeanor to engage with fans, further fueled speculations. The departure from convention, including shaking hands, posing for selfies, and even kissing a girl on the cheek, raised questions about the Russian leader’s possible ‘stand-ins’.
Nick Strogov, a human rights journalist and researcher, said: “Within the professional community, a prevailing consensus is emerging: the presidential administration may employ individuals resembling Putin for events not necessitating his verbal engagement but demanding his presence, particularly for photo opportunities.
“In this context, these individuals aren’t full-fledged doubles but rather ‘stuntmen’—individuals sporadically tasked with imitating the president, albeit with very limited functions.”
In the context of Putin’s reputed paranoia, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, where strict quarantine measures and rumors of underground bunkers were enforced, the narrative also gained traction.
Social media is still currently buzzing with memes and jokes about Putin’s supposed body doubles, contributing to the intrigue surrounding the Russian President’s public persona.
As questions linger and speculation intensifies, the use of Putin body doubles, once confined to conspiracy theories, is now under the scrutiny of advanced technology, inviting further exploration and discussion.
